Monday, March 18, 2013

What a Difference a Job Makes

It is with renewed vigor and hope for the future that we start this week. The worry and stress from wondering if anyone would ever want to hire someone over 50 (and while we are told that it is illegal to discriminate because of age, we all know it happens all the time) and at a living wage. The prospect of Keith heading off for work this morning gave us the energy to get things done this weekend and enjoy the wonderful weather that we are having.

Kind of like the first day of school, Keith got a new lunchbox and a new tool box and was up at 5am getting ready to go. He didn't have to be there until 7:30 this morning so he could have slept a little longer, but he wanted plenty of time to get some tools together and make sure he was all prepared for his first day back to work. Their start time is usually 7 during the colder months, 6 when it starts to get hot, and the shop is only about 4 miles away, so the commute should be about 15 minutes at the very most, depending on traffic down Rosedale Hwy, which sometimes can be pretty bad.

He was still stuck on the whole railroad job thing, but he's come to the conclusion that a bird in hand is way better than the one in the bush, and when a good job is handed to you on a shiny silver platter, you take it, you don't pass it by on the vague hope that you will actually get that railroad job.

Anyway, he's off and I'm here by myself again which will take a little getting used to. The cats will probably be a little confused for a while, wondering why there isn't a warm body taking a nap on the couch in the afternoons. I woke up early today, too, so I've already gotten the vacuuming done and the wash started. And it's only 8 am!

And, about the weather. The few months of spring here really are the nicest time of the year to live in this not so great place. Hot during the summer and cold during the winter, spring is just right. The days have been getting warmer and all the leaves are now starting to come out on the trees and the breeze has been blowing and birds singing and the air is clean. We did some work in the still unfinished back yard and then decided to have our dinner out on the patio Saturday evening. Unlike the coast where the early evenings get downright chilly, our evenings are really pleasant here with no jackets needed, and it was really a nice change to sit on our patio and enjoy our dinner. I even feel more like cooking, knowing that we will now have a paycheck coming in and can try out some new recipes again instead of eating the same cheap stuff over and over again.

So, with a little more enthusiasm for life, a great start to the week!